Laura didn't show up for breakfast the next morning. Mercedes told the students to let them sleep, so no one looked after her.
After breakfast, Mercedes called Lupe.
"Lupe, please come to me for a moment alone."
Lupe looked at the others and followed her mother into a separate room.
"What's the matter, mom?" Said Lupe.
"I want you to take care of Laura. Ilaria is worried about her and asked me ..."
"But mom, she keeps withdrawing and she lies to us."
"Lupe at our school we take care of new classmates. That was not a request. You don't stay with Gaspar or he here until I see you do what I say. Ilaria is my friend. You go upstairs now and have a look for Laura "
Lupe noticed that her mother would not tolerate any contradiction.
She left the room and stomped up the stairs in anger. The others looked at each other. When Gaspar wanted to get up to go after her, Mercedes said "please stay here, she will check on Laura."
When Lupe got to Laura, she was still in bed. "Why didn't you come for breakfast." asked Lupe.
"I wasn't hungry."
"Ok, come down now, please."
"Are you or the others angry with me?" asked Laura.
"Just come down" Lupe was not in the mood to deal with the subject now.
She went back to the others.
"What are we doing today?" Asked Juanma.
"What do you think of a chilled day in the garden while the sun is still there?" Asked Zoe.
The others nodded. Alvaro took a few games out of the closet
Mercedes was in the kitchen. When Lupe came to get a drink, she said. "Lupe, I want you to move into Laura's room at school temporarily until she has settled in a little.
"No, mom ....."
Mercedes put her hand over Lupe's mouth "Be quiet, I don't want Laura to hear that. She needs a little help. Do me a favor," whispered Mercedes.
"But I've been in the room with Agos for ages. I don't want to swap rooms"
"Lupe, I'm not discussing this."
Lupe turned and went to the others. After a moment she got up again and went to her room. Laura had meanwhile reached the others.
"We wanted to play a game, will you join us?" asked Alvaro.
Laura nodded. Gaspar said "I'll have a look at Lupe." He went up the stairs. When he got into Lupe's room, she was sitting on the bed, streaming with tears.
Gaspar took her in his arms. "What happened" he asked. Lupe told him what Mercedes had said, including that she couldn't see him if she didn't do what Mercedes wanted.
"I'm slowly getting used to everyone. Even with Mia I somehow get along. And Laura .. she lies to us all and the others don't like her either. I'll be excluded from the others again if I always have Laura with me, besides, that she doesn't seem to like me either.
"We should talk to the others in peace, they know your mother too." He hugged her again.
"Come on, let's go to the others," he said, wiping a tear from Lupe's cheek.
When Lupe got back to the others, they had started a game but Laura sat a little apart. Mercedes gave Lupe a meaningful look, which Alvaro caught. He went to his mother and Lupe stood in for him in the game.
"What's that between Lupe and you, mom?" he got straight to the point.
" Why do you ask?"
"Because I saw that you talked to Lupe and now she comes out of her room crying. It must have been something."
Mercedes briefly told him what she had said to Lupe about Laura. Alvaro looked at her.
"But Laura doesn't adapt at all and certainly not at all to Lupe. That's not good for Lupe if you put her under such pressure. Gaspar in particular has done a lot to make her change."
"Ilaria is my friend. Laura seems to be having some difficulties with moving and being away from her boyfriend. She needs support now."
"But Lupe and Laura don't even like each other."
"Still, Lupe should try." Mercedes turned her back on Alvaro, for her the subject was over.
Laura had meanwhile moved upstairs again. When Alvaro came to the others, he said "does anyone want to take a walk?" He looked in the direction of Mercedes and winked at the others. Juanma and Mia were there straight away, Gaspar had seen Alvaros look and understood, that he didn't want to get away from Mercedes and said "Sure, I think we're all there."
When they were outside, Alvaro said "What exactly did mom tell you about Laura?" Lupe looked at him and told the others what her mom asked her to do.
"I know the situation , she did the same thing with me with Clara," said Alvaro. "I just want you to know what the situation is like. I think we've been getting along really well lately and I don't want this to be destroyed, so we should stick together now.
